Narrative:

I was working local/ground/clearance position combined at night on oct/fri/02 when I noticed a vehicle (pick-up truck) driving next to the active runway 5. It was VFR at the time and I had an inbound air carrier to runway 5. The vehicle turned at the intersection of runway 5 and runway 14 and proceeded southeast next to runway 14. I called our airport security on the ground control frequency and security intercepted the pick-up truck which turned out to be a farmer, who was working with several combines on airport property. Our security informed the farmer to remain clear of the runways and have an amber rotating beacon on top of his truck turned on. I asked our security why we (ATC) aren't notified when farmers will be on airport property working next to runways. Our security advised me they (security) do not know when the farmers will be there either. The next morning the WX was at or below minimums for the ILS approach to runway 5. As the WX came to minimums for shooting the approach (1/4 mi) we began using the ILS runway 5 approach. As the visibility got to 3/4 mi we noticed several large pieces of farm equipment parked in and near the localizer critical area. We then began advising aircraft on the ILS approach that the localizer may not be reliable. This farming on airport property is unsafe and we as ATC cannot be held accountable for vehicles on the airport property we do not even know will be there, or when or who is authority/authorized. There are no written LOA's or procedures for these operations. This farming also attracts numerous flocks of birds in the summer getting worms from the freshly plowed fields. We have had numerous bird strikes and a DC9 lost an engine on takeoff due to bird ingestion. 1) why are farmers allowed on airport property? 2) why are we (ATC) left out of this loop and not notified, when, who where? 3) why does our airport security people not know who, what, when, where? 4) who is going to be held responsible when a plane crashes due to bird strikes, or unauthorized vehicles causing a runway incursion? 5) why are there no written or verbal procedures for this? 6) this is an accident waiting to happen, that someone needs to take responsibility to prevent. 7) why is there no communication between parties? 8) what kind of security is this? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: a conversation with reporter revealed that, indeed, farming is conducted on airport property. Unspecific as to the crop grown he did describe the equipment used as being, trucks and combines. As mentioned in the original report, his main concern was not being advised of their presence on the airport! Supplemental information: a conversation with mbs airport management shed additional light on the aspect of farming on airport property. Apparently, of the 3000 acres that comprises the airport, a certain portion of that acreage is allotted to the farming of 'soya beans,' a no till crop. The designated farm areas are considered outside any critical area and are inside a buffer area that is maintained by airport personnel. The farmers involved have security clrncs requiring the display of an identify badge. The incident in question was described as, early morning fog engulfing the equipment operators without warning, requiring shutdown of the equipment for fear of intruding onto an unauthorized area. It was acknowledged by airport management that ATC and airport security should be given prior notice when such farming activity is to take place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TWR CTLR AT MBS EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE PRESENCE AND OP OF FARM EQUIP NEAR RWYS, IN PARTICULAR, THE ILS CRITICAL AREA DURING IFR OPS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL/GND/CLRNC POS COMBINED AT NIGHT ON OCT/FRI/02 WHEN I NOTICED A VEHICLE (PICK-UP TRUCK) DRIVING NEXT TO THE ACTIVE RWY 5. IT WAS VFR AT THE TIME AND I HAD AN INBOUND ACR TO RWY 5. THE VEHICLE TURNED AT THE INTXN OF RWY 5 AND RWY 14 AND PROCEEDED SE NEXT TO RWY 14. I CALLED OUR ARPT SECURITY ON THE GND CTL FREQ AND SECURITY INTERCEPTED THE PICK-UP TRUCK WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A FARMER, WHO WAS WORKING WITH SEVERAL COMBINES ON ARPT PROPERTY. OUR SECURITY INFORMED THE FARMER TO REMAIN CLR OF THE RWYS AND HAVE AN AMBER ROTATING BEACON ON TOP OF HIS TRUCK TURNED ON. I ASKED OUR SECURITY WHY WE (ATC) AREN'T NOTIFIED WHEN FARMERS WILL BE ON ARPT PROPERTY WORKING NEXT TO RWYS. OUR SECURITY ADVISED ME THEY (SECURITY) DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE FARMERS WILL BE THERE EITHER. THE NEXT MORNING THE WX WAS AT OR BELOW MINIMUMS FOR THE ILS APCH TO RWY 5. AS THE WX CAME TO MINIMUMS FOR SHOOTING THE APCH (1/4 MI) WE BEGAN USING THE ILS RWY 5 APCH. AS THE VISIBILITY GOT TO 3/4 MI WE NOTICED SEVERAL LARGE PIECES OF FARM EQUIP PARKED IN AND NEAR THE LOC CRITICAL AREA. WE THEN BEGAN ADVISING ACFT ON THE ILS APCH THAT THE LOC MAY NOT BE RELIABLE. THIS FARMING ON ARPT PROPERTY IS UNSAFE AND WE AS ATC CANNOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR VEHICLES ON THE ARPT PROPERTY WE DO NOT EVEN KNOW WILL BE THERE, OR WHEN OR WHO IS AUTH. THERE ARE NO WRITTEN LOA'S OR PROCS FOR THESE OPS. THIS FARMING ALSO ATTRACTS NUMEROUS FLOCKS OF BIRDS IN THE SUMMER GETTING WORMS FROM THE FRESHLY PLOWED FIELDS. WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS BIRD STRIKES AND A DC9 LOST AN ENG ON TKOF DUE TO BIRD INGESTION. 1) WHY ARE FARMERS ALLOWED ON ARPT PROPERTY? 2) WHY ARE WE (ATC) LEFT OUT OF THIS LOOP AND NOT NOTIFIED, WHEN, WHO WHERE? 3) WHY DOES OUR ARPT SECURITY PEOPLE NOT KNOW WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE? 4) WHO IS GOING TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE WHEN A PLANE CRASHES DUE TO BIRD STRIKES, OR UNAUTH VEHICLES CAUSING A RWY INCURSION? 5) WHY ARE THERE NO WRITTEN OR VERBAL PROCS FOR THIS? 6) THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN, THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO PREVENT. 7) WHY IS THERE NO COM BTWN PARTIES? 8) WHAT KIND OF SECURITY IS THIS? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THAT, INDEED, FARMING IS CONDUCTED ON ARPT PROPERTY. UNSPECIFIC AS TO THE CROP GROWN HE DID DESCRIBE THE EQUIP USED AS BEING, TRUCKS AND COMBINES. AS MENTIONED IN THE ORIGINAL RPT, HIS MAIN CONCERN WAS NOT BEING ADVISED OF THEIR PRESENCE ON THE ARPT! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO: A CONVERSATION WITH MBS ARPT MGMNT SHED ADDITIONAL LIGHT ON THE ASPECT OF FARMING ON ARPT PROPERTY. APPARENTLY, OF THE 3000 ACRES THAT COMPRISES THE ARPT, A CERTAIN PORTION OF THAT ACREAGE IS ALLOTTED TO THE FARMING OF 'SOYA BEANS,' A NO TILL CROP. THE DESIGNATED FARM AREAS ARE CONSIDERED OUTSIDE ANY CRITICAL AREA AND ARE INSIDE A BUFFER AREA THAT IS MAINTAINED BY ARPT PERSONNEL. THE FARMERS INVOLVED HAVE SECURITY CLRNCS REQUIRING THE DISPLAY OF AN IDENT BADGE. THE INCIDENT IN QUESTION WAS DESCRIBED AS, EARLY MORNING FOG ENGULFING THE EQUIP OPERATORS WITHOUT WARNING, REQUIRING SHUTDOWN OF THE EQUIP FOR FEAR OF INTRUDING ONTO AN UNAUTH AREA. IT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY ARPT MGMNT THAT ATC AND ARPT SECURITY SHOULD BE GIVEN PRIOR NOTICE WHEN SUCH FARMING ACTIVITY IS TO TAKE PLACE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.